


Between Kiss and Pork Cutlet

by Cynorca



Category: Free!
Genre: Birthday Kiss, M/M, Yamazaki Sousuke's Birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 16:05:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8807329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cynorca/pseuds/Cynorca
Summary: It's Sousuke's birthday and he maybe accidentally asking something more than just meals to Haru.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I made this one for Sousuke's Birthday 2015 (' v ' ) but only posted it in Facebook.
> 
> so I decide to move it here, yay~
> 
> sorry for the messy grammar!

Birthday surprise becomes too mainstream lately to the point it's not really surprising anymore. That's why, Sousuke didn’t really struggle when his teammates raided his room this morning, on his birthday, covered his whole head with a big paper bag, and then dragged him out of Samezuka Dorm to god-knows-where.

Besides, he was half-afraid that he might crushed Ai if he fought too much. Sousuke, as a matter of fact, is the biggest, muscle-est member of Samezuka Swimming Team. It needs more than just Samezuka's current captain, Samezuka's next captain, and the little brother of Samezuka's former captain to counterbalance his strength.

So, patiently, Sousuke let his friends wrapped the paper bag over his head, dragged him out of his bed, and guided blindly out of their dorm to the train station nearby.

"Where are we going?"

"Not answering." Answers Rin. "You're being kidnapped, please be frightened a little bit for the thrill."

Sousuke thinks that no kidnapper will take their victim publicly in a commuter train. But he doesn't say anything.

In the end, Sousuke finds himself surprised of their destination; He thinks it will be a family restaurant or their favorite ramen shop, but now he stands in front of a wooden door of a plain house near a shrine in Iwatobi; it's Nanase's house. Haruka Nanase, to be exact. He didn’t visit the house much, but the trademark stair and the old wooden door is easily remembered, even with his limited sight due to the paperbag, Sousuke recognizes it in instant.

"Why did you guys bring me to Nanase's house?"

"Well, we can't tell you, senpai." Answers Momo, "this is supposed to be a surprise."

"Aw, Momo, you spilled it!" Groans Ai. Rin ignores them and rings the bell. Sousuke can hear the ruckus inside the house before someone with Tachibana's voice answers, "comin’!", and then the wooden door slides open.

"Oh, hello guys. Come in!" Says Tachibana, although Sousuke can only see his foot.

They enter the house. Tachibana lead them to a traditional room hidden beneath two slide doors. And once the doors are opened, Rin grabs the paperbag over his head and the sound of confettis and crackers and 8 manly voices plus 1 girly voice deafening his ear with "SURPRIIIIIIISEEE!!!"

Sousuke scrapes his ear, almost think that now he doesn't just get bad shoulder, but bad hearing too.

He stares at the banquet on the short table, the 17-years-old cake, the badly handmade birthday banner, and the rest of the Samezuka and Iwatobi team, plus Kisumi and Gou who stares back at him like they expect him gonna react in dramatic measures, like crying maybe, except Haruka Nanase who remains calm and stares blankly at him. Maybe imagining himself floating in his bathub or something.

"Uhh... thanks guys?" Responses Sousuke awkwardly.

"Aww... that's it? Rei-chan, you said this gonna make Sou-chan cry for sure..."

"But according to my information from reliable sources..."

"Told ya he'll be surprised more if stag beetles raining over his head when he enters the room."

"Well, we didn't really hiding anything..." Gou shrugs.

Sousuke clears his throat, just to give them some kind of noticement that he's still here. "If you're expecting more dramatic response, try Rin on his birthday."

"Shut up, Sousuke." Rin kicks his leg, then he enters the room and seats himself near the table while saying, "I told you guys Sousuke doesn't go with surprise."

"Well, it's the thought that counts." Says Makoto kindly, "let's sit down and properly wishes Yamazaki-kun."

All of them sits with shoulders glued against each other around the table, singing 'Happy Birthday To You' horribly, and wishes Sousuke standard birthday wish like 'I hope your shoulder gets better', 'I hope you take care of your muscle in your rehabilitation', 'I hope you'll die 80 years from now' and such. And then they eat the delicious banquet together which turns out cooked by Rin and Nanase, while the rest of Iwatobi team is responsible for the horrible decorations. They laugh, gives him presents, and talks a lot and then play with the fireworks...

It's basically a normal birthday celebration. And although Sousuke doesn't talks a lot nor eats the cake too much (but Kisumi and Tachibana managed to clean the cake plate somehow), he feels happy, and content, and somehow grateful.

The birthday party ends around 7 PM, when Kisumi leaves first because he must take care of his little brother, and then Ai and Momo because they have Math test tomorrow. Nexts are Rei, Nagisa, and Gou who want to catch the train before it's getting too late. The afternoon ruckus now left as a pile of dirty plates and colorful scrap papers all over the floor for Sousuke, Rin, Tachibana and Nanase to take care off.

Staring at the horrible mess in Nanase's household living room, Rin sighs, "Well, let's decide it with rock, paper, scissors."

 

*

 

In the end, it decides that Tachibana and Rin take care of the dishes and while Sousuke and Haruka clean the living room. And in contrast with Rin and Makoto who chats friendly as they take piles of dishes to the kitchen, Nanase only murmurs "I'll take the decor off from the wall" before works silently.

Suddenly, the living room feels deserted, as if there's no party with 10 teenagers messing around in the room that afternoon.

Sousuke sits on the floor and gathers the confettis around him. The silence feels strange and uncomfortable, so he decides to speak casually.

"Thanks for the banquet today."

"You're welcome." Answers Nanase without looking.

"The mackarel with pineapple though, I thought it's Rin's prank. But somehow it tasted quite nice..."

Nanase stops his hand from taking glues off of his wall, and then turns his head to Sousuke. "You did like it?"

Sousuke shrughs, "Kind off. You made it?"

Nanase doesn't say anything, but his silence gives Sousuke the answer anyway. He decides to not question the quite man if he prefers silence over conversation, so it's surprising when Nanase's the one who talk first next.

"You're the first." Says him quietly.

"First what?"

"Who says the fried mackarel and pineapple tastes good."

"Oh, I see."

"The others said it's weird." Adds Nanase, and somehow Sousuke catches a glimpse of sulk in his voice.

Sousuke put the confetti trash to the trashbag, "to be honest, it IS weird. Rin used the mackerel as punishment game this afternoon, right? Well I got punished and have to eat it... but somehow the mackerel tasted quiet good."

The silence grows once more. So quiet that Sousuke can hear the sound of Rin's laugh and the plates softly collide with each other from the kitchen.

"Do you guys do it often?" Asks Sousuke again, trying to open another awkward conversation.

"Do what?"

"Birthday surprise... you cook for others..."

"Not always this big." Answers Nanase, "sometimes it's just me cooking their favorite foods."

Nanase crumbles the big banner into a ball and brings it to Sousuke, who opens the trash bag wider.

"It's pork cutlet, then."

"Huh?"

"Pork cutlet." Repeats Sousuke, grins slightly, "my favorite food."

Nanase scowls, "pork is expensive."

"Oh, so you want to cook me if the pork's price is not too high in the market?"

Nanase doesn't answer.

Sousuke can't help but snorts a laugh, somehow he can feel it in the air that Nanase is pouting. "Kidding, you don't need to cook for me like you do it for everyone else."

"Thanks for today, Nanase." says Sousuke, quieter than he usually is. It feels weird to thank Haruka Nanase who usually bickers with him, and although he know it's ridiculous, he feels more awkward than he think he should be and decides to focus his thought to tied the trash bag and avoiding Nanase's eyes.

Nanase stares at him, before suddenly moves his upper body towards him. Sousuke only register the way Nanase's face is getting closer to his before he feel a soft kiss covers his lips, quietly, faintly.

Sousuke can see his eyelid and counts his eyelashes...

And as soft as the way his kiss comes to him, Nanase moved away without a sound, covering his lips with the back of his hand clumsily. And Sousuke's breath hitches as something clicks in his mind.

Nanase Haruka just kissed him.

Sousuke opens his mouth, losing his voice before find it again with a few coughs.

"D-Did you... do it for everyone else too?"

Nanase doesn't bug. He doesn't answer. Or move. Or look at his eyes. But somehow the faint red shade on his cheek answers him in silence.

_No. It's just you._

It feels awkwardly surreal, with both of them standing in Nanase's living room, a big trash bag on his hand, and they're just kissed and now they're blushing and avoiding each other's eyes...

"So..." Says Sousuke slowly, "I don't get my pork cutlet for birthday... but I can kiss you instead?"

Nanase doesn't look at his eyes when he nods for once. And Sousuke can't help but kiss him once again. Deeper and longer. It doesn't like he does it with anyone else anyway.

***

 


End file.
